[Harp-L] stage fright

["bloozeharp" <bloozeharp@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This morning at Church, our music director wanted me to do my version of Amazing Grace (2nd pos/G harp) during the service. Large crowd,etc. No problem. I know this tune inside and out. While I'm waiting for my cue my heart starts racing (big time) and I find myself in the throes of big time stage fright. Has never happened to this degree-ever. Tried the long slow breaths etc but couldn't shake it. Started playing and made several mistakes in the first verse and a couple in the 2nd then kind of leveled out. Finished playing and got a standing ovation but I felt that they just did it for my effort, not the quality of my playing. I was bummed to say the least. But I remembered what this list said last week about accepting praise for your playing without whining about how terrible you thought it was or what you did wrong and so on. So I accepted the fact that I did the best I could at that given time and warmly thanked everyone who told me they liked it. Afterwards, my harshest critic (my wife), came up and hugged me and said  don't sweat the mistakes-it was the feeling I put into the song that everyone loved. I guess I'll live afterall.